Advocacy

Kidney Care Partnersprovides interactive features that allow one to receive legislative alerts and updates, read summaries of current legislation, and review legislators' voting records on specific issues. Also provides issue-specific sample letters and state-specific tips for calling, writing, and e-mailing members of Congress.

The American Association of Kidney Patients provides an electronic newsletter and links to Congressional testimony, public policy articles & press releases, government reports & documents, public comments & correspondence, other advocacy resources, and Congressional respresentatives. Also includes an easy-to-personalize sample letter to Congress.

The American Kidney Fund provides an advocacy network and information on current issues, as well as avenues for addressing them.

The Healthy Advocacy Toolbox provides an abundance of tools, templates, sample letters, practical suggestions for communicating effectively, and tips on finding and using data.

WashingtonWatch.com provides summaries and full versions of bills on which to read and comment, links to related bills, links with pre-written e-mail messages to alert others to bills, links to Facebook and other online sites, and links to local legislators. Type "kidney," "organ donation," "transplant," or any other applicable key word into the search box on the left-hand side (under "Subscribe").

GovTrac.U.S. enables one to track the activities of Congress, providing tools for instant access to every member of Congress and their voting records, Congressional committees, current and past legislation, and links to many interesting civics sites.

Videos, Podcasts, Animation, and Blogs

Video Series by Dr. Del PizzoTpresents excellent 1-2 min. videos on various aspects of kidney donation. Producer will not allow third parties to embed ivideos. Go to YouTube.com and type "Dr. DeliPizzo" intoTsearch bar.

Dedicated Dad: Jake Garn, the first sitting member of Congress to fly in space, interrupted his re-election campaign to donate a kidney to his daughter in 1986. "Her mother carried her for nine months, and I am honored to give her part of me," Garn said. Click here to read the story.

"I thought he was scamming me," said Peggy Pousha of Jerry McElroy's call to offer her a kidney. McElroy was an altruistic donor, meaning that he did not know her before the donation. He and Pousha connected with each other on MatchingDonors.com, a web site on which patients and potential donors look for each other. Patients who are waiting for a transplant post their profiles, and potential donors browse the site, looking for someone whose life they want to help save. "It's been something I've wanted to do," McElroy said. "Scientifically, I can function with only one kidney. So, why not donate?" Click here to read the story.